Dominic was suitably impressed when one of the horses shied at the traffic and danced a bit, while his rider brought him under control.
We were shown where to park then joined a rapidly growing crowd in the ticket line. Many people carried seat cushions. I wished I’d remembered one because the wooden seats were hard. I bought tickets for the last row of the first section.
We found our seats and immediately Dominic needed popcorn. I reached for my bag, but Andy stopped me. “You bought the tickets.” He dug a money clip from his pocket.
That explains why no wallet bulge ruins the fit of his pants. I’d checked it out.
“Come right back.” He turned to me. “He should be safe here. He’s getting to the age where I can’t hold him back but I hate letting him loose in a crowd. "
I knew what he meant, but I was pretty darn happy to be in a crowd.
Each area of the semicircle of stage sets in the pleasant outdoor setting would be lit as it was used. Behind the makeshift buildings, tall fir trees crowded together to create a frame. Around us, orderly lines of people, a good two-thirds elderly, found their seats.
“People like to think small towns such as Puyallup and Sumner are safe places, but that idea is kind of a fool’s paradise these days.”
Andy sighed. “Who’d a thought living in the north end of Tacoma would prove to be deadly. The whole north end makes me think of a grandma in her parlor.”
“Yeah , I know what you mean. Everything’s so tidy. Did you know one of the houses near Thirty-eighth street used to belong to a guy who was on the wrong side of prohibition? It has deep-set windows only about fifteen inches wide. I love the Wright Park neighborhood, but it’s definitely on the brink of being rundown. Anyway, how’s it going for you? Are the police still hanging around?”
“I’ve seen more of them in the last week than I did of my boss all last year. They try to be discreet, but there’s no denying who they are when they call or show up. The neighbors must be having a field day.”
“Do you have a lawyer?”
“No. I’ve thought about it a lot, and it’s stupid, I know, but having a lawyer means I’ve given in and really think they have a case against me. I just don’t want to believe it, I guess.”
He began to wring his hands again, and I put mine firmly on them for a minute. “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know. This isn’t right and while they’re fussing at you, the real killer could be getting away. I went to the police station and I don’t think they’re even looking for the vicar.”
“You went to the police station?”
I couldn’t read his expression. Then Dominic returned with popcorn and a pop, settled down between us and began to swing his legs and look around.
The play started with John the Baptist walking over a small hill and wading into the miniature lake. From three sides of the knoll, people came, alone and in pairs, to be baptized by submersion. I liked this part because I knew the groups were actual families from the church.
My friend Ruth had one line. Running over the hill and pointing behind her she cried, “He’s coming, He’s coming.” Then the man playing Jesus rode in on a small donkey to also be baptized.
Soldiers on horses thundered over the hill to stop the baptisms and the play continued following the traditional story line. There was music at a Jewish wedding. The market scenes had a couple goats and a small flock of sheep. Two camels walked unhurriedly amid the players.
Grinning, I leaned over to Andy. “Ruth told me it’s all they can do to get those camels to walk across the marketplace like that. There’s been a lot of mumbled cussing over their stubbornness and their spitting.”
Andy grinned back. Before he could respond, Jesus forced the moneylenders from the temple and there was a great deal of action with pounding horses and pigeons leaving overturned crates to fill the air. After an hour, the play
We were shown where to park then joined a rapidly growing crowd in the ticket line. Many people carried seat cushions. I wished I’d remembered one because the wooden seats were hard. I bought tickets for the last row of the first section.
We found our seats and immediately Dominic needed popcorn. I reached for my bag, but Andy stopped me. “You bought the tickets.” He dug a money clip from his pocket.
That explains why no wallet bulge ruins the fit of his pants. I’d checked it out.
“Come right back.” He turned to me. “He should be safe here. He’s getting to the age where I can’t hold him back but I hate letting him loose in a crowd. "
I knew what he meant, but I was pretty darn happy to be in a crowd.
Each area of the semicircle of stage sets in the pleasant outdoor setting would be lit as it was used. Behind the makeshift buildings, tall fir trees crowded together to create a frame. Around us, orderly lines of people, a good two-thirds elderly, found their seats.
“People like to think small towns such as Puyallup and Sumner are safe places, but that idea is kind of a fool’s paradise these days.”
Andy sighed. “Who’d a thought living in the north end of Tacoma would prove to be deadly. The whole north end makes me think of a grandma in her parlor.”
“Yeah , I know what you mean. Everything’s so tidy. Did you know one of the houses near Thirty-eighth street used to belong to a guy who was on the wrong side of prohibition? It has deep-set windows only about fifteen inches wide. I love the Wright Park neighborhood, but it’s definitely on the brink of being rundown. Anyway, how’s it going for you? Are the police still hanging around?”
“I’ve seen more of them in the last week than I did of my boss all last year. They try to be discreet, but there’s no denying who they are when they call or show up. The neighbors must be having a field day.”
“Do you have a lawyer?”
“No. I’ve thought about it a lot, and it’s stupid, I know, but having a lawyer means I’ve given in and really think they have a case against me. I just don’t want to believe it, I guess.”
He began to wring his hands again, and I put mine firmly on them for a minute. “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know. This isn’t right and while they’re fussing at you, the real killer could be getting away. I went to the police station and I don’t think they’re even looking for the vicar.”
“You went to the police station?”
I couldn’t read his expression. Then Dominic returned with popcorn and a pop, settled down between us and began to swing his legs and look around.
The play started with John the Baptist walking over a small hill and wading into the miniature lake. From three sides of the knoll, people came, alone and in pairs, to be baptized by submersion. I liked this part because I knew the groups were actual families from the church.
My friend Ruth had one line. Running over the hill and pointing behind her she cried, “He’s coming, He’s coming.” Then the man playing Jesus rode in on a small donkey to also be baptized.
Soldiers on horses thundered over the hill to stop the baptisms and the play continued following the traditional story line. There was music at a Jewish wedding. The market scenes had a couple goats and a small flock of sheep. Two camels walked unhurriedly amid the players.
Grinning, I leaned over to Andy. “Ruth told me it’s all they can do to get those camels to walk across the marketplace like that. There’s been a lot of mumbled cussing over their stubbornness and their spitting.”
Andy grinned back. Before he could respond, Jesus forced the moneylenders from the temple and there was a great deal of action with pounding horses and pigeons leaving overturned crates to fill the air. After an hour, the play
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